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Palau

Palau: Political System

Palau is a republic in free association with the USA.

The state is a parliamentary-presidential system, which consists of two chambers as a legislative. Head of state and head of government are one person. The people elect him every four years.

The Senate and the House of Representatives form the parliament, called Olbiil Era Kelulau.

The Senate consists of nine members, the House of Representatives 16. Both are also elected by the people every four years.

According to Digopaul.com, the official name of the country is:

The state consists of 16 administrative districts: Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Hatohobei, Kayangel, Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngarchelong, Ngardmau, Ngatpang, Ngchesar, Ngeremlengui, Ngiwal, Peleliu and Sonsorol. Each of these administrative districts is headed by a governor who comes partly from the ruling chief families and who is given the power of his birth. But in some cases he is also elected.

There are no parties. The electoral holder is 18 years.

Palau, like many South Sea islands such as Nauru, is one of the countries in the world which, compared to their size, have far too many government posts, which are then mostly occupied by the ruling tribal or chief families.

National anthem

Based on flag descriptions by Countryaah.com, Palau's national anthem is used since 1980, the music is by Ymesei O. Ezekiel.

In the original it reads

In the English translation

In the English translation

Palau: animals

Mammals

The only native mammals are the fruit-eating bats. Dugongs live in the water, the only marine herbivorous mammals in the world. They are also the only representatives of the fork-tailed manatee family. The animals, which can grow up to 4 m tall and weigh 900 kg, feed exclusively on the seaweed that they chop up with the two horny chewing plates. They have poor eyesight and outwardly unrecognizable ears. Nevertheless, they can hear very well underwater. The males can be recognized by the two "tusks" protruding from under the upper lip. These shy animals can live up to 50 years. They are hunted for their tough skin and the layer of fat that is processed into oil.

Macaques can be seen on Angaur Island.

Reptiles and amphibians

Saltwater crocodiles, also known as saltwater crocodiles, live on Babeldaob, but they have become rare. The estuarine crocodile is the largest living crocodile, with the longest animal ever measured being 6.20 m in length. It lives in coastal waters, mangrove swamps, and estuaries and is relatively widespread. Its distribution area includes the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Australia and Cambodia, the Philippines, New Guinea, the Bismarck Islands and the Solomon Islands. This crocodile has been protected since the late 1970s.

Other reptiles include giant tortoises and six species of geckos. The panda nut skink belongs to the amphibians.

Snakes (not poisonous)

The tree strangler snakes are represented on Palau, which, like all snakes in Palau, are not poisonous.

Venomous animals

There are no dangerous or poisonous animals on Palau.

Birds

In addition to silk singers, star swallows, spectacled birds and pigeons, you can also meet cormorants, shearwaters, tropical frigate birds, gannets and terns. As on almost all South Sea islands, large foot fowl are at home here. These inconspicuous birds are about 30 cm long and have a simple, gray-colored plumage. They can usually only be recognized by the prints on the large feet and the melodious duet singing of the couples. What is special about the large footed chicken is that it does not incubate its eggs itself, but uses various external heat sources. He places them near hot springs or in places where the magma reaches relatively close to the surface of the earth. Its diet consists mainly of insects, but snails, seeds and fallen fruits are also on the menu.

Much more eye-catching and a delight for the eye are the different bird of paradise species in Palau, which are represented in all possible colors and shades. Green and red parrots and cockatoos are just as colorful. The endangered bird species include the Palau earth dove (also known as the gray-forehead dove) and the bronze goggle bird. The national bird of Palau is the fruit pigeon, which the Palauans call "Biib".

Underwater world

The underwater world of Palau is at least as rich in species as the bird world. In addition to corals and anemones, the giant venus clams and giant clams are native here. The latter is the largest mussel in the world. Their bowls can be 1.40 m long and 8-10 cm thick. They are only found in the western Pacific, where they have a sedentary lifestyle and feed on plankton. This clam has been hunted to the highest degree because its shells, as well as the meat, fetch high prices. Palau is participating in a giant clam breeding program aimed at relieving pressure on wild populations. The giant clam is listed as "vulnerable" on the red list.

Triggerfish, snapper, butterfly fish, grouper and napoleon fish live alongside barracudas, reef sharks, manta rays and moray eels. Sea cucumbers and sea urchins are just as much a part of this special world as snails and squids. Numerous mostly colorful reef fish swim around - a joy for divers and snorkelers. There are also numerous species of shark in the ocean, including the great white shark.

Jellyfish Lake is special because it is a salt lake that was once cut off from the sea, which has enclosed the Mastigias jellyfish that live in it. At the moment there are millions of jellyfish that can only be found here in the world. Due to the lack of natural enemies, these have lost their poisonous tentacles, and it is therefore safe to dive or snorkel with the animals. However, out of consideration for the jellyfish, fins should be avoided. Thanks to the innumerable tiny algae inside, the Mastigias jellyfish can live from sunlight by producing nutrients based on the principle of photosynthesis.

Palau: plants

Trees

Most of the islands of Palau are covered by tropical forests on the mountain slopes, and mangrove forests line the coasts. The most common trees are coconut palms, pandan trees, and banyan trees. The latter are a botanical specialty and are among the largest living organisms in the world. The banyan tree is also known as the strangler fig or Bengal fig. He is a hemiepiphyte, which means that the rhizome (root stock) of this plant rises up on tree trunks, but roots in the ground. By being anchored in the ground, the plant is supplied with nutrients, whereas the aerial roots become thicker and lignify.

Over time, they develop into trunks, some of which are enormous in diameter. When the roots touch, they fuse, creating a dense network around the host tree. In this way, its main vessels are pinched off and it dies. Banyan trees are fast-growing and can reach a size of over 30 m. What is more impressive, however, is its scope. The largest banyan tree has a diameter of 300 m and is in Calcutta (Colcata). The tree is sacred to many peoples because it is regarded as the seat of spirits.

The panda nut tree is known in German as "screw palm", which describes the arrangement of its leaves. On the lower part of the trunk, the trees develop strong aerial roots.

The rubber tree is widespread, of which there are around 1,000 species and which belongs to the mulberry family. Its home is Asia, but today it occurs everywhere. In Central Europe it is often used as a houseplant. The tree has large, dark green and thick leaves and can grow up to 30 m tall in nature. It has a dense, spreading crown and strong roots that run on the surface of the earth, so-called aerial roots.

Crops

Fig and rubber trees are not uncommon in Palau. Ficus rubber is extracted from the white milky sap of the rubber tree trunk.

Medicinal plants

Betel nut chewing is not only widespread in Palau. The fruits of the betel palm, which can be up to 30 m high, are wrapped in the leaves of the betel pepper with lime and slowly chewed. The dye contained in the fruits stains the saliva red and, with permanent use, the teeth black. The beggar nuts are said to have a slightly intoxicating, stimulating and euphoric effect. They also stimulate salivation, have a laxative and diuretic effect and are supposed to suppress the feeling of hunger.

Poisonous plants

The constant chewing of beggar nuts stimulates the oral mucosa and can lead to the formation of benign tumors and ultimately also carcinomas. Allegedly, 8-10 g of the nuts are also said to be fatal by causing cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest.

More plants

In addition to deciduous and mangrove forests, there are also grassland savannas on some islands of Palau. In addition to the carnivorous Nepenthes species, numerous orchid species such as the rare wild orchid make up the majority of the Palau flora.

The ironwood tree originally comes from Iran. It gets its name from the fact that its wood has a greater density than water and for this reason does not float on water.

The breadfruit tree imported from India is widespread. This is bulky and has large leaves up to half a meter long and fruit clusters weighing up to 5 kg. The elongated, round breadfruit of the tree has a green, prickly skin and grows 2 m high. In Europe it is cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

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